1

Keenan Clark

Dr. Julie Chisholm

English 100; Section #1

4-7-2011

How to Bar Over SSDG on the TSGB

Purpose:

Performing your watch requirements as a licensed cadet at CMA is important part of meeting Coast Guard and STCW requirement. For all 4/C engineer (wiper) cadets, baring over the TSGB’s ship service diesel generators (SSDG) is an important task in completing a watch standing.

“Baring Over” or the turning over of the SSDG’s flywheel helps allow for the circulation of lubrication oil in the engine. The periodic lubrication of the SSDGs helps prevent the possibility of starting the generator without proper lubrication. Without proper lubrication of the generator moving components will experience a much greater wear: especially that of crank shaft. Baring over of the SSDG’s also allows for an assessment of the current health of SSDG pumps, valves and the possibility of moister accumulation in cylinder firing spaces.

Outline:

  • Glossary
  • People and items needed
  • Precautions
  • Procedure
  • Conclusion

Glossary:

  • PPE – Personal protective gear
  • SSDG - Ship Service Diesel Generator
  • TSGB – T.S. Golden Bear
  • Air Cock valve – Special valve that stays tight under pressure
  • Back Seating – Screwing open the valve until it is firmly seated against the back of the valve and the handle will not screw anymore; this can be a problem especially on Air cock valves which are prone to getting locked up due from back seating.
  • Flywheel – A large metal wheel that stores rotational kinetic energy and helps keep momentum created by engine.
  • Timing mark – An indicator used for setting the timing of theignition systemof anengine, typically found on the flywheel.
  • “Lining up” – The setting of a systems valves and components to provide adequate flow though a system.

People and items needed:

  • Gloves
  • Eye protection (while at sea)
  • Ear protection (while at sea)
  • Bar (callous metal and proper diameter to fit in SSDG fly wheel holes; found in the 23’ foot flat ship service air compressor cage.)
  • Special air cock valve wrench (found on the top forward part of the port bulkhead in EOS room.)
  • Boiler suit
  • Rags
  • Safety shoes
  • Flashlight
  • Upper-class man for supervision
  • Assistant wiper to watch air cocks

Precautions:

  • Make sure SSDG is offline and that the flywheel is not rotating. Take the necessary precautions to prevent a start up of the SSDG while performing barring over of SSDG: Exposure to moving parts can mangle limbs, or even kill.
  • PPE
  • Take care while scaling SSDG to open air cock valves

Procedure:

Set up:

  • Don PPE
  • Collect items needed
  • Make sure SSDG is offline and not able to start up suddenly
  • Select an SSDG to bar over
  • Make sure upperclassman is there to supervise, and your assistant wiper is ready to help you

Opening the air cock valves:

  • Carefully climb on top of the SSDG and locate the six air cock valves that should be sticking vertically and corresponding with each engine cylinder.
  • Turn the air cock wrench counterclockwise to open the valves, make sure not to back seat the valves.
  • Carefully disembark from the top of the SSDG

Starting the lubrication pump:

  • Locate the lube oil line on the SSDG and make sure the SSDG lube oil system is proper lined up.
  • Energize the pump system by locating the appropriate SSDG power box and flipping the switch up.
  • Ascertain the gray SSDG control box; it will be located near the SSDG. Make sure the control box goes with corresponding SSDG that you wish to bar over.
  • Find the black switch labelled “Pre-lubricating pump” and switch it to the left MNL (manual) position.
  • Press the nearby green on button; a green light should come on.
  • You should hear the pump starting up and a loud noise; the pump is building up pressure. When the noise regressesthe pump has built up enough pressure and is now circulating lube oil through the engine; one can also check the pressure gage located on the gray control box.

Baring over the SSDG:

  • Locate the flywheel.The flywheel should be amid the engine and the generator: it’s hard to miss.
  • Open the flywheel access hatch by removing the nut and lifting the hatch up. You should now be able to see the flywheel holes and timing marks.
  • Culltiming mark and hole. Remember it: you can also take a rag and clean the area your mark so it’s notably cleaner than the rest of flywheel.
  • Appropriate bar and insert into to your select flywheel hole.
  • Begin turning over the engine by pulling the bar downward. You will have to keep pulling the bar out and replacing it at a further up fly wheel hole, because the engine is not lubricated: it can difficult the first few times you do turn the flywheel. If the flywheel continues to be arduousto turn over, check to see if air cocks have been properly opened.
  • As you turn the flywheel, have your assistant wiper inspect the air cocks for and water leaking out.
  • Continue to turn the fly wheel until you have done one complete revolution of the flywheel; turn until you reach your starting fly wheel mark and hole.

Wrapping it up:

  • Remove bar and reconfigure the flywheel hatch and nut.
  • Shut down the lubrication pump at the gray control box by turning the black “pre-lubrication” pump switch from the left MNL (manual) position, to the middle “off” position, you should hear the pump whine down and the green light should go off.
  • De-energize the control box by flipping the switch on the SSDG power box down.
  • Gingerly climb back onto the engine and close the air cock by turning the air cock valve wrench clockwise.
  • Clean up any oil strewn across the deck plating.
  • Report to EOS engineer that task has been completed.

Conclusion:

Baring over the SSDG is an easy task if done properly and it is a valuable process to learn. Freshman engineers will be required to know how to properly bar over the SSDGs on their first cruise, and later apply this skill to ship generators on future vessels.